I confess, I know a bit about adultery. My master has a little something on the side (see the “about” page on this blog). He’s Latin, Italian to be exact, and he’s a man. Two and two often make three: The infidel, the mistress and the wife. Reference: Silvio Berlusconi (well, in his case the sum may have been more than three.)

I can identify with straying, though I firmly believe infidelity should include no more than a cursory bark and sniff. This, by the way, does not employ tweeting, emailing or texting but the use of the eyes, the nose and the voice-box only.

Fortunately, most Latin males who stray may gain easy absolution via Catholic confession. This satisfies not only the priest’s appreciation for a bawdy story but the offender’s guilt, as well.

Would that it were so easy.

Absolution is more difficult to gain at home, I’ve found. It is not always true that is is easier to get forgiveness than permission.

Thankfully, dogs are speechless. Otherwise, we would perpetually be in the confessional, let alone the dog-house.

Given the propensity for adultery among Latins, one wonders why the church hasn’t gone automated WAY before now:

I love Cristoforo Columbo. Anyone who can follow a scent across the ocean and find land is my hero. I don’t care that he came to be known largely for things he never did. He had courage, and courage is counted as gold by any dog.

It is said that he was born sometime between August and the end of October, 1451. I’m going with October 24, as tonight our cook, Grazia, is making Paella, and Paella reminds me of Spain, and Spain reminds me of the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria…I don’t know why, but there it is…

Columbo is credited by many to have

1) proved that the earth is round;

2) put the first European foot on North America;

3) been a friend of the natives of that continent.

But, hate as I do to credit the Greeks with anything, it was Pythagoras who, in the 6th century BC came up with the theory to prove the curve of the earth.

And, Columbo never even set foot on North America…he only made it as far as the Caribbean and South America.

Finally, if old Cris didn’t kill the Indians he met along the way, he sent them back to Spain as slaves.

So much for the Myth of Columbo…but I still love him…almost as much as I love Paella.